


everybody sins in their own way

by loosingletters



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Emperor Darth Vader, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Selfcest, Stockholm Syndrome, Time Travel, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:08:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29156337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loosingletters/pseuds/loosingletters
Summary: He looked like Padmé.Anakin couldn’t believe that out of the hundred thousand different thoughts rushing through his head right now, his mind had to latch onto that one.Or, Anakin Skywalker meets his son for the first time when Luke wants to rescue him from Darth Vader.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Comments: 27
Kudos: 114





	everybody sins in their own way

**Author's Note:**

> I was playing "give me tags and I tell you what fanfic I'd write with them" on tumblr and ended up writing the fanfic.  
> Title from Wolf Colony's "Holy"  
> Enjoy!

He looked like Padmé.

Anakin couldn’t believe that out of the hundred thousand different thoughts rushing through his head right now, his mind had to latch onto that one. The boy’s eyes were his, or at least similar enough to his on the good days. He didn’t have too many of those nowadays, but today had been one. Bright blue, light as the sky Anakin saw so seldomly anymore. His nose and cheeks were as round as Padmé’s, soft and kind, even when he looked like a warrior.

Like a _Jedi_.

The boy’s training had been limited and Anakin mourned the fact that he hadn’t been able to teach and guide him, that he hadn’t ever been able to run his fingers through his hair and wave the strands to a Padawan braid.

“You are Luke,” Anakin said. He knew right off the bat that this was his son despite never having seen a holo of him.

Vader had been trying to use knowledge of their child against him to make Anakin more willing to go along with his schemes. Anakin had been promised recordings, information about his possible whereabouts, and again, more holos. He had resisted until now, but he didn’t think he’d be able to deny Vader again now that he had seen Luke.

He was _perfect_.

All Anakin had ever imagined of a child born to him and Padmé.

“Yes,” Luke replied. “I- We’re here to rescue you.”

His eyes drifted away from Anakin’s face only once, down to the bruises around his neck, on his hips. Dressed in soft silk, Anakin knew that he didn’t look much like the Jedi that Luke had probably expected or at least hoped to find. It hurt him to have disappointed the boy not only this once but twice. Where once he had been glad when Vader told him that Obi-Wan had stolen their child, now he was almost angry at his old Master. He should have told Luke the truth so he wouldn’t have to be devasted learning his father had turned into a monster or-

Well.

There were a lot of words for what exactly Anakin was and none of them fit quite well.

“How did you get here past the guards?” Anakin asked his child.

He was only a few years older than Luke. Sometimes he couldn’t quite believe how much time had passed since the Force had dropped him right in front of Vader. Often enough, he felt close enough to his past, the Clone Wars, the Jedi-

And then there were moments like this where he felt so grounded in the present, the darkness, that it hurt. He tried to stay calm. He didn’t want to chase Luke away when his eyes flickered. The last thing he needed was learning how weak any iteration of his father truly was.

“We have a mole in the guards. They helped us out,” Luke answered quickly. “We don’t have much time, Vader is currently out, but he’ll return soon.”

Despite the anxiety Luke was feeling, he was much calmer than anyone else in his situation would be. He had come to rescue Anakin despite having no real reason to. He didn’t need Anakin and yet he had staged this undertaking.

Luke was smart and brilliant and Anakin found that he agreed with his mirror image.

Luke would make a great Emperor someday.

“I _can’t_ leave,” Anakin said, shaking his head. “We are connected.”

So much more than anyone could ever possibly understand, not even their child.

“You don’t have to stay with him. Nobody- nobody else knows. They think he just held you capture for years, kept you young through some Force techniques. Nobody would have to know of his identity. You could help us fight back. Rebuild the Republic, the Jedi.”

Luke spoke with growing desperation. His heart was so big and he cared so much for a man he had only ever talked to in his dreams. Anakin swung his legs over the side of the bed, chains clinging against one another. While he had hated them at first, he had grown used to them. They were almost a comfort, grounding. Since the shackles had been replaced with something much kinder to his skin, they also didn’t irritate his ankles anymore and Anakin didn’t have to watch for injuries.

He walked over to Luke, who watched him with wide eyes. Ever so gently, Anakin put a hand on his cheek. It was the first time in years that he had touched another living being that wasn’t Vader. It was so much warmer than he remembered.

“I’m so sorry, Luke,” Anakin whispered. “You shouldn’t have come.”

“What, what are you talking about-“

Anakin only smiled sadly when suddenly the temperature of the room dropped. Luke‘s head whipped around, finding the dark shadow that loomed over both their fates. Anakin used to spit curses at Vader, ridicule the added height of his prosthetics, but even he couldn’t deny their effect. Vader towered over most people in any room, now over them both.

Luke didn’t waste any time. His eyes darted from Vader to Anakin, then he quickly turned on his lightsaber, a bright green blade, and cut through Anakin’s chains.

“Run!” he ordered. “I will hold him off.”

His dear, foolish, brave son.

“Oh, Luke,” Anakin just said. “There is no use in fighting.”

He had learned that long ago when he had decided to kneel in front of his Emperor, not even glancing at the beheaded body of his former Mentor.

“I- I don’t understand,” Luke said, terror still running through his mind, freezing him and urging him to move at the same time.

“You will in the future, my son,” Vader said. His voice was dark, low, so very different from Anakin. In moments like this, it was almost possible for Anakin to pretend that they weren’t the same person, that they hadn’t been born in the desert in the dead of night.

“Well done, Anakin,” Vader praised him and called him closer across their bond. Anakin didn’t hesitate to walk over to his other half, leaned into Vader’s touch when his other half tilted his chin up, gold meeting blue, dominating it until, eventually, the gold overtook him.

This was never a question of Anakin’s strength, merely of his devotion.

 _Good_ , Vader purred. _All mine. Our son will do well, so eager to protect._

Anakin exhaled.

“It’s over, Luke,” he told their son. Vader’s hand resided low on his back, promise and threat all the same. Anakin didn’t know what it even said about himself anymore that he would rather their son disappear into his quarters now so that Anakin could welcome his other half back.

Luke’s eyes widened in horror.

“You can stop fighting now.” Anakin couldn’t see any disgust, only sadness, determination too, perhaps.

And Anakin was so, so sorry.

He knew what the Rebels were telling each other, of course. Anakin’s appearance had been sudden, Vader’s coup entirely unexpected at that point and the manner by which Vader had presented Anakin to the Imperial Court after spoke miles about their relationship.

_His Imperial Consort, Knight Skywalker._

“I’m sorry,” Anakin apologized again.

He stepped closer to Luke, carefully reached for his trembling hands, well aware Vader would keep their son from hurting him. Anakin deactivated Luke’s lightsaber and clipped it to the chains wrapped around his waist. They weren’t meant to hold a weapon, but they did well enough. Anakin hadn’t held a lightsaber since they had killed Sidious together and he was keenly aware of Vader’s eyes on him, his mind in him.

Anakin had a chance.

He didn’t take it.

“Just accept it,” he told Luke and pulled his son, suddenly feeling so much older, into his arms as they slowly sunk to the ground. “All will be well.”

Vader would ensure it.

**Author's Note:**

> Idk how I feel about the fact that 2 out of 9 Vaderkin fanfics are mine.  
> Thanks for reading!


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